Yate railway station

Last updated

Yate
National Rail logo.svg
2023 at Yate station - looking north.JPG
The northbound platform with the former goods shed on the right
General information
Location Yate, South Gloucestershire
England
Coordinates 51°32′28″N2°25′55″W / 51.5411°N 2.4319°W / 51.5411; -2.4319
Grid reference ST701826
Managed by Great Western Railway
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeYAE
Classification DfT category F1
History
Original company Bristol and Gloucester Railway
Pre-grouping Midland Railway
Post-grouping LMS
Key dates
8 July 1844Opened
4 January 1965Closed
11 May 1989Reopened
Passengers
2018/19Decrease2.svg 0.342 million

The Yate station first opened on 8 July 1844 and closed on 4 January 1965, along with other wayside stations on the former Bristol and Gloucester Railway; the local stopping service on the route having been withdrawn as a result of the Beeching Axe. [1] [2] This had both its platforms on the southern side of the road bridge mentioned above - the original 1844 goods shed still stands (now in commercial use) next to the old southbound platform site. [3] The station was reopened by British Rail on 11 May 1989 with the backing of Avon County Council.

When first open, trains headed south along the original B&GR/Midland route via Fishponds to reach Bristol, although a connection was subsequently laid in to link this route with the rival Great Western Railway's 1903 "Badminton Line" from Wootton Bassett to Patchway (the current South Wales Main Line) in 1908. The new connection left the older line by means a flying junction at Yate South [4] before heading southwest to join the SWML at the triangular Westerleigh Junction. Though jointly built by the two companies for the purpose of giving the GWR access to the Severn Rail Bridge and Severn and Wye Railway, it also provided an alternative route to Bristol Temple Meads via Filton and the Great Western soon made use of it to compete with the Midland for Bristol to Birmingham traffic, much to the dismay of the latter company. All services now use this newer line to get to Bristol, as the original 1844 route through Mangotsfield was abandoned in January 1970 following the completion of the Bristol area resignalling scheme. A short section of the old route was retained from Yate South Junction after the rest closed, to serve a domestic waste transfer depot and fuel oil distribution terminal at Westerleigh sidings. This line is still in use today.

It is the junction station for the Thornbury Branchline, however the passenger stations on this branch have long since closed (trains ceased in 1944) and the line remained open to serve Tytherington Quarry until September 2013, when it was placed 'Out of Use' by Network Rail following the mothballing of the quarry at the beginning of the year. [5] [6] [7] The line has now (summer 2017) returned to use following the reopening of the quarry, with Mendip Rail running periodic stone trains.

In the Strategic Rail Authority’s 2007/08 financial year, Yate was ranked as the 1104th most-used station in the UK. In the Office of Rail and Road's 2019/20 estimations, Yate ranked 1,114th most used station. [8]

Facilities

The station is staffed on weekday mornings. [9] It has two staggered platforms, separated by the A432 road bridge. An automated ticket machine was installed in mid-2007, but stopped functioning due to vandalism and is reported to be "unlikely to be replaced in the foreseeable future". [10] A new ticket machine was installed in 2013 on platform 1, whilst the portakabin ticket office is on the opposite platform. Digital information screens, customer help points and timetable posters provide train running information, whilst CCTV was installed here in 2011. [11] Step-free access to both platforms is available (via ramps from the road bridge to platform 1).

Services

A GWR Class 165 at the northbound platform Yate - GWR 165129 up service.JPG
A GWR Class 165 at the northbound platform

The station is served Monday to Saturday by a two trains every hour in both directions between Gloucester and Westbury via Bristol Temple Meads (with hourly extensions to/from Worcester northbound and to/from Weymouth southbound, plus a single service to/from Portsmouth Harbour). In May 2023, additional trains to/from Bristol were introduced as part Phase 2 of the MetroWest scheme. Yate station is also served by a hourly Sunday service. A normal service operates on most bank holidays.

Preceding station National Rail logo.svg National Rail Following station
Bristol Parkway   Great Western Railway
Gloucester - Westbury
  Cam and Dursley
Disused railways
Mangotsfield
Line and station closed
  Bristol and Gloucester Railway
Midland Railway
  Wickwar
Line open, station closed
Terminus  Thornbury Branch Line
Midland Railway
  Iron Acton
Line open, station closed

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thornbury, Gloucestershire</span> Market town in Gloucestershire, England

Thornbury is a market town and civil parish in the South Gloucestershire unitary authority area of England, about 12 mi (19 km) north of Bristol. It had a population of 12,063 at the 2011 census. The population has risen to 14,496 in the 2021 census. Thornbury is a Britain in Bloom award-winning town, with its own competition: Thornbury in Bloom. The earliest documentary evidence of a village at "Thornbyrig" dates from the end of the 9th century. The Domesday Book of 1086 noted a manor of "Turneberie" belonging to William the Conqueror’s consort, Matilda of Flanders, with 104 residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Gloucestershire</span> Local government district in Gloucestershire, England

South Gloucestershire is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, South West England. Towns in the area include Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Thornbury, Filton, Patchway and Bradley Stoke. The southern part of its area falls within the Greater Bristol urban area surrounding the city of Bristol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Severn Tunnel Junction railway station</span> Railway station in Rogiet, Wales

Severn Tunnel Junction railway station is a minor station on the western side of the Severn Tunnel in the village of Rogiet, Monmouthshire, Wales. It is 123.5 miles (198.8 km) from London Paddington and lies at the junction of the South Wales Main Line from London and the Gloucester to Newport Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharpness</span> Human settlement in England

Sharpness is an English port in Gloucestershire, one of the most inland in Britain, and eighth largest in the South West England region. It is on the River Severn at grid reference SO669027, at a point where the tidal range, though less than at Avonmouth downstream, is still large.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tytherington, Gloucestershire</span> Human settlement in England

Tytherington is a village in the civil parish of Tytherington and Itchington, in the South Gloucestershire district, in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, England, situated 2 miles (3.2 km) south east of Thornbury. The parish population taken at the 2011 census was 666. On 1 April 2023 the parish was renamed from "Tytherington" to "Tytherington and Itchington".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pilning railway station</span> Railway station near Bristol, England

Pilning railway station is a minor station on the South Wales Main Line near Pilning, South Gloucestershire, England. It is 10 miles (16 km) from Bristol Temple Meads and is the last station on the English side before the Severn Tunnel through to Wales. It is managed by Great Western Railway, who provide the two train services per week from the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stapleton Road railway station</span> Railway station in Bristol, England

Stapleton Road railway station is on the Severn Beach Line and Cross Country Route, serving the inner-city district of Easton in Bristol, England. It is 1.6 miles (2.6 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. Its three letter station code is SRD. The station has two platforms, four running lines and minimal facilities. It is managed by Great Western Railway, the seventh company to be responsible for the station, and the third franchise since privatisation in 1997. They provide all train services at the station, the standard service being two trains per hour along the Severn Beach Line and an hourly service between Bristol Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lydney railway station</span> Railway station in Gloucestershire, England

Lydney railway station is a railway station serving the town of Lydney in Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the Gloucester-Newport line, 133 miles 37 chains (214.8 km) from the zero point at Paddington, measured via Stroud. The station is located a mile south of Lydney, and was originally called Lydney Junction, which is now the name of the nearby station on the preserved Dean Forest Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filton Abbey Wood railway station</span> Railway station in Gloucestershire, England

Filton Abbey Wood railway station serves the town of Filton in South Gloucestershire, England; it is located 4.4 miles (7.1 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. There are four platforms but minimal facilities. The station is managed by Great Western Railway that operates all services that call here. The general service level is eight trains per hour: two to South Wales, two to Bristol Parkway, two toward Weston-super-Mare and two toward Westbury.

The Bristol and Gloucester Railway was a railway company opened in 1844 to run services between Bristol and Gloucester. It was built on the 7 ftBrunel gauge, but it was acquired in 1845 by the 4 ft 8+12 instandard gauge Midland Railway, which also acquired the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway at the same time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patchway railway station</span> Railway station in Gloucestershire, England

Patchway railway station is on the South Wales Main Line, serving the town of Patchway and village of Stoke Gifford in South Gloucestershire, England. It is 6 miles (10 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. Its three letter station code is PWY. It is managed by Great Western Railway, who provide all train services at the station; there is generally a train every hour in each direction between Cardiff Central and Taunton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence Hill railway station</span> Railway station in Bristol, England

Lawrence Hill railway station is on the Severn Beach Line and Cross Country Route, serving the inner-city districts of Easton and Lawrence Hill in Bristol, England. It is 1.0 mile (1.6 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. Its three letter station code is LWH. The station has two platforms, four running lines and minimal facilities. It is managed by Great Western Railway, the seventh company to be responsible for the station and the third franchise since privatisation in 1997. They provide all train services at the station, the standard service being two trains per hour along the Severn Beach Line and an hourly service between Bristol Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood.

Rail services in the West of England refer to passenger rail journeys made in the Bristol commuter area. 17 million passenger rail journeys were made in 2019-20 within the Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bristol/Bath region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron Acton railway station</span> Former railway station in England

Iron Acton station opened on 2 September 1872, with the start of services on the Midland Railway branch from Yate to Thornbury. The station was designed by the Midland Railway company architect John Holloway Sanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thornbury (Gloucestershire) railway station</span> Former railway station in England

Thornbury railway station served the town of Thornbury in Gloucestershire. The station was the terminus of a short 7.5-mile (12 km) branch from Yate on the Midland Railway's line between Bristol and Gloucester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tytherington railway station</span> Former station in Gloucestershire, England

Tytherington railway station served the village of Tytherington in South Gloucestershire. The station was on the Yate to Thornbury branch line that was opened by the Midland Railway in 1872. The station was designed by the Midland Railway company architect John Holloway Sanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thornbury branch line</span> Railway line in the West of England

The Thornbury branch line is a railway line from Yate to Thornbury in the West of England. From 1963 until mid 2013, it remained as a freight route, serving the quarry at Tytherington. It was designated 'Out of Use (temporary)' by Network Rail from 2013 until 2017, when it reopened to serve Tytherington quarry again. The 7.5-mile (12 km) branch of the Midland Railway line between Bristol and Gloucester opened on 2 September 1872, and started at Yate and finished at Thornbury, with stops at Iron Acton and Tytherington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MetroWest (Bristol)</span> Project to improve the rail services in Bristol

MetroWest, formerly known as the Greater Bristol Metro, is a project to improve the rail services in Bristol, England, and the surrounding region. It was first proposed at First Great Western's Stakeholder Event in March 2008. The aim of the project is to develop half-hourly services through central Bristol which will also serve the surrounding West of England region. Transport campaigning groups Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways (FoSBR) and Transport for Greater Bristol are actively supporting the proposal, as are the three unitary authorities under the West of England Combined Authority and North Somerset Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westerleigh Junction</span> Railway junction in Gloucestershire, England

Westerleigh Junction is a railway junction in Gloucestershire, England, where the Cross Country Route (XCR) from York to Bristol Temple Meads meets the South Wales Main Line (SWML) from London Paddington to Swansea, near the village of Westerleigh.

The Badminton railway line is a railway line opened in 1903 by the Great Western Railway between the Great Western Main Line at Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire and Patchway and Filton, north of Bristol, England. Forming the eastern section of the South Wales Main Line, it shortened the distance between South Wales and London for heavy mineral traffic and for express passenger trains; it relieved congestion on the line through Bath.

References

  1. The Victoria County History of Gloucestershire, Volume 14, Yate: Settlement (draft), p.10 Victoria County History.ac.uk; Retrieved 2013-12-13
  2. British Railways Board - The Reshaping of British Railways, Part 1 Report (HMSO) 1963, p.121 The Railways Archive; Retrieved 2013-12-13
  3. "Viewfinder - Goods shed, Yate Railway Station, Station Road, Yate, Avon" English Heritage; Retrieved 2013-12-12
  4. Yate South Junction signalling diagram Signalling Record Society; Retrieved 2013-12-12
  5. "Establishment of proposed G1 Short Term Network Change: Tytherington Branch (from 0m 30ch) Designation as "Out of Use (temporary)"" (PDF). Swindon: Network Rail. 10 September 2013. STNC/G1/2013/WEST/565. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  6. "Calls to Restore Railway Line Following Quarry Closure" Souvebois, Marion,Gloucestershire Gazette news article 2-01-2013; Retrieved 2013-12-12
  7. "New Lease of Life Planned For Tracks Behind Thornbury Quarry" Gardner, Rachel Bristol Post article 5-01-2013; Retrieved 2013-12-12
  8. "ORR Data Portal"
  9. National Rail Enquiries - Yate
  10. Yate Station User Group
  11. "CCTV to deter Yate station vandalism" BBC News article 1 March 2011; Retrieved 10 April 2017